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Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.

Rocco’s Italian was the BOMB!
They spun off one in Springfield in the mid to late 80’s near Dunkin’ Donuts.
Pizza and pasta dishes were the BEST!
When wheel of fortune came on the projection tv, everyone would play as they ate!

I REALLY miss the all you can eat clam nights at Howard Johnsons. Also HoJo was a great place to go for ice cream on a hot summer evening. Something about their ice cream, it was better than any other ice cream!
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are you kidding me? Wrote:
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> I REALLY miss the all you can eat clam nights at
> Howard Johnsons. Also HoJo was a great place to go
> for ice cream on a hot summer evening. Something
> about their ice cream, it was better than any
> other ice cream!

Flimflam Wrote:
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> Think it was called Taco Laredo

Yes. It was Taco Bueno at first, but they had to change their name because there was already another Taco Bueno somewhere else, so they changed to Taco Laredo. One in Falls Church city and one in Springfield Mall. Loved their burritos and chili dogs!
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The Fortuna restaurant in kings park shopping center had great square pizza on a thin crisp crust. The owner (Wally) would allow us to get just one beer each even though we were underage. He would pour the beer into a dark glass so it wouldn't be so obvious. We thought we were so cool having pizza and beer at age 16 or 17. Of course we had a cooler full of beer in the car though.

Fortuna! Hellz yeah! I totally forgot about that place! When I was 12 I started a lawn mowing business. After my first week of cutting grass, I took our profits and my three best friends and I rolled up in there ordered a large pie and root beers and blew the rest on the Star Castle video game just inside the door.

KP.Mafia Wrote:
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> 5500 block...KP Drive...1974-1990 here.
>
> Fortuna! Hellz yeah! I totally forgot about that
> place! When I was 12 I started a lawn mowing
> business. After my first week of cutting grass, I
> took our profits and my three best friends and I
> rolled up in there ordered a large pie and root
> beers and blew the rest on the Star Castle video
> game just inside the door.
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KP4eva Wrote:
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> KP.Mafia Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 5500 block...KP Drive...1974-1990 here.
> >
> > Fortuna! Hellz yeah! I totally forgot about
> that
> > place! When I was 12 I started a lawn mowing
> > business. After my first week of cutting grass,
> I
> > took our profits and my three best friends and
> I
> > rolled up in there ordered a large pie and root
> > beers and blew the rest on the Star Castle
> video
> > game just inside the door.

Had a sports bar in the back with a rear side door like a speak easy, good Italian food in the dining area out front, the sports bar had a happy hour with free pizzas and 3 ft long subs. been something else, The front area had a deli, that area was the original Bobs Diner many years ago, the dining room area was also a later addition to the original Bobs. I also miss the Lone Star steakhouse just down the street by Fairfax Propane and Arthur Teachers by the circle

Bob and Ediths for breakfast on Columbia Pike and the Weinne Beannie in Shirlington. Still going strong I hear. While parked in the ally preparing to enjoy one of their world famous chili dogs, I watched then candidate Ronald Reagan leave the WETA studios just across the street after filming an interview.

Of the Weenie Beanie at Edsall Rd and South Picket was good, and I really miss another copy, Benjamin's off Alban Road across from Alban Tire. I had a many a cheap lunch there beans and franks, spaghetti, lasagna ,meat loaf, Royal Hamburgers most of the items I got were on the classic hand written signs and all were under 5 bucks of course all of these places had the bean soup, and half smokes that were good as well. All of them had the same style menu boards a big yellow one with all their main items listed

B. Sambo Wrote:
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> "in fact, we are in the process of changing the
> restaurants named Jolly Tiger back to Sambo's
> within the next year and a half," said Diemoz.
>
> Diemoz said the name Sambo is derived from the names of
> the company's founders, Sam Battistone and Newell Bohnett.

If it wasn't Little Black Sambo, why did it have themes from the book,
and why was the alternate name about the tiger from the book?

Also: (a) Sambo was Indian, not really "black" (b) he wasn't portrayed negatively in the book. It was just niggers who saw the title of the book, a book which they were probably incapable of reading anyway, and then threw an uppity fit.

Moved here in '87 and lived up near the AT&T building. Have no recollection of a Godfather's at Fairfax Circle. Was it a full on Godfather's with sit down arcade games and pitchers of beer? If it was I am sorry I missed out as I loved Godfather's when I lived out west.

commuter Wrote:
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> Ollie Lum Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > -- Joshua Tree in McLean, owned by Marriott.
> (Now
> > J. Gilberts)
> >
>
> No shit? We were talking about that place the
> other day and nobody could remember the old name.
> What year did the name change?

commuter Wrote:
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> Ollie Lum Wrote:
> -------------------------------------------------------
> > -- Joshua Tree in McLean, owned by Marriott. (Now J. Gilberts)
> >
> No shit? We were talking about that place the other day and nobody
> could remember the old name. What year did the name change?

J. Gilbert's claims on their website to have been in business for "almost" 20 years, so maybe late 90's or so. As I recall, it wasn't just a quickie name change tough, and the place was non-operational for a while after the Joshua Tree shut down. I was sorry to see JT go. It was almost what a GAR place would be today. J Gilbert's seemed like a step down to me, though I haven't been there for years now.

Time marches on Wrote:
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> commuter Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Ollie Lum Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > > -- Joshua Tree in McLean, owned by Marriott.
> (Now J. Gilberts)
> > >
> > No shit? We were talking about that place the
> other day and nobody
> > could remember the old name. What year did the
> name change?
>
> J. Gilbert's claims on their website to have been
> in business for "almost" 20 years, so maybe late
> 90's or so. As I recall, it wasn't just a quickie
> name change tough, and the place was
> non-operational for a while after the Joshua Tree
> shut down. I was sorry to see JT go. It was
> almost what a GAR place would be today. J
> Gilbert's seemed like a step down to me, though I
> haven't been there for years now.

It was Charley's Place before J Gilberts...Springfield had a Charley's Place-It was Phineas before that and across from Carlos O Kelly's in Fairfax, was another Charley's Place. They were all Host/Marriott at first.

Time marches on Wrote:
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> Thanks, I'd forgotten all about Charley's Place.
> Perhaps deservedly so? Still haven;t found a
> definitive source for when Joshua Tree closed.

It switched from Joshua Tree to Charley's Place @ 1981. It was still operated by Host...basically the same concept...an excellent restaurant. It became J Gilberts after a buyout in the 90's. They also had a Phineas in Rockville.

That all sounds plausible. The concept of course was seen in many places, There was a similar spot on E Broad Street in Falls Church a bit toward Seven Corners from where Giant Music used to be. Can't remember the name for sure, but maybe bulls or boars were involved somehow?

I actually thought of Boar's Head, but decided I was probably being confused by the deli department over at Giant Food. I know I ate there once or twice under that name, but I don't recall the newer one at all. The place was in any case another example of "the concept" at work. Today we have the GAR concept in these parts, but it produces what I would see as far better restaurants. Glad for that.

Boars Head and MJ's were OK...I thought When GAR started (Fritzbees) the new concepts they started had a unique individual aspect. Now I could close my eyes and you feel they are all the same. Oh well....?

An ability to replicate success has long been a part of the GAR plan. You can walk into any of their restaurants and be sure that you will be getting the same sort of upbeat vibe, excellent food, and first-rate service, all at a moderate price. So many places can't manage that even once.

Fritzbe's (now Silverado) opened in Annandale in 1976. Picco's Pizza in Fairfax City (across from the old courthouse) had opened in 1974.

Time marches on Wrote:
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> An ability to replicate success has long been a
> part of the GAR plan. You can walk into any of
> their restaurants and be sure that you will be
> getting the same sort of upbeat vibe, excellent
> food, and first-rate service, all at a moderate
> price. So many places can't manage that even once.
>
>
> Fritzbe's (now Silverado) opened in Annandale in
> 1976. Picco's Pizza in Fairfax City (across from
> the old courthouse) had opened in 1974.

Yes, I went to Fritzbe's when it first opened and then about 1000 times after that:) When they converted the FFX Circle Fritzbe's to Arties, they had a very unique menu. It was excellent.

Okay, this thread is starting to give Old Pictures of Fairfax County a run for the money! I remember my parents eating at Artie's. Don't think they ever took me. I went to the recruiting station in that same strip mall to join the Army. Don't think the recruiters still work out of there.

Who knows what year that frozen custard machine they had was made. It had a chrome script name plate on top Electrofreeze, the dollars that machine made! And the great frozen custard, the brothers who owned it said all the time that customers came up from Florida when they passed thru DC and got a couple quarts and people from New England heading to Florida the same. I believe it. Two flavors vanilla and chocolate that's all they needed, sugar cone cake cones or dishes pints and quarts.

1947 Electrofreeze Or 1949 Wrote:
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> Who knows what year that frozen custard machine
> they had was made. It had a chrome script name
> plate on top Electrofreeze, the dollars that
> machine made! And the great frozen custard, the
> brothers who owned it said all the time that
> customers came up from Florida when they passed
> thru DC and got a couple quarts and people from
> New England heading to Florida the same. I believe
> it. Two flavors vanilla and chocolate that's all
> they needed, sugar cone cake cones or dishes
> pints and quarts.

When strawberries were in season, they would often offer strawberry Froze Custard for 2-3 weeks as well.

The Frozen Dairy Bar has somewhat been resurrected I assume by some family members??

When it first opened I went a few times and recall they actually had one of the original Frozen Diary Bar machines on display but not operational.

They offered Pizza and sandwiches but it appears they have grown and possibly expanded both their menu and facility.

Commuter Wrote:
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> Hopefully not out of that building. Damn thing is
> literally falling apart. Cannot imagine what it
> looks like on the inside.

The Church Street corridor from Pleasant to Lawyers -- including the Marco Polo property -- has been on the town's redevelopment calendar for years now. A plan to upgrade the Marco Polo corner was submitted but defeated by protests from neighbors more than a year ago. A revised plan was promised by developers at that time but it has not yet surfaced that I am aware of.

Charles Martel Wrote:
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> Food Factory - afghan kabob joint in Ballston off
> Fairfax Dr. place was prob a front for the Taliban
> but damn those kabobs and that sauce with the
> bread were insane. Shut down early 00’s.

Used to hit Jake's up in Centreville for happy hours nightly back in the '90's until it started going down the crapper. The manager and bar staff would give out free drinks a lot there towards the end and the manager would be hammered when we came in. It was followed by a Copeland's that lasted a while.

After, Jakes, we ended up going to The Shade Tree for a while. Never really hit O'Tooles much.

Went to Champion's a good bit in Tyson's, especially on Fridays for the patio. Also hit up Bravo's in Chantilly a good bit back in the day behind the Giant.

CALLED DAJAX'S It was SOUTH OF A RIVER and Now Its 1500 feet back into a swamp called Dragon Run.

The old mans passing thru and saw some stuff LMAO with That Genos Pic Push 1 and 2 !!

Genos and Pats in Philly have the best steak subs in the world! And DAJAX agrees that the ladies should get a handgun permit if their hiking anywhere and the gents too if you a law abiding citizen like me

To make the best home made French fries cut them into 1/4 inch fries, put them in water in the refrigerator and chill 15 minutes at least, then remove and dry with towels and put them in a big bowl with 2 tablespoons corn starch and fry in batch's small enough that the peanut oil stays hot till they get slightly browned and they will be crisp. I hate to tell you to buy a salt flour dredge at a resturauant supply, a good one is off General Washington Drive Pinnacle Equipment Supplies there Spanish people good folks there. Slap some salt on the fries from above after you pull them all out to drain on paper towels and you've got the best fries there is . A cheap Wal Mart Fry Daddy works fine, one temp but it works. To go whole hog get the commercial French fry cutter at Pinnacle only 250.00 but since ya'all have now all got black credit cards you can handle that with ease!
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DYHGP Wrote:
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> The Frozen Dairy Bar has somewhat been resurrected I assume by some family members??

No relation to the family. Original location, except not in the parking lot where the IHOP now stands - it's in the strip, now. Serves pizza and other food. Remodeled a few years ago to make it nicer inside, trying to be more like a real restaurant. Owner has aspirations. Mainly, it's the name that's the same, although the custard is decent.

Is the ancient machine still there at the new Dairy Bar. The old stuff was rich maybe now skim milk is used

Id like to see a Genos or Pats with real Philly Steaks and roast pork here and pay what it takes to make a great sub. Had both at Tony Luke's in OC and they were meh, too much fat on the pork at the tops of the slices, white greasy fat yuk not meh which I take is Ok no big deal

Genos now has a place at the Philly airport but the "charm" of the originals location is part of the magic, Pats right there too

One in the gone category is Als Steaks on Mt Vernon in Alex . They were whoppers but a greasy whopper with more onions then Genos or Pats put in there's ,places do that to cut back on the meat and you had to be careful of the grease dripping down on you in your lap as I could not wait to dig into one

Al died a few years back, so did one of his old cooks who held a place at the at the bar at Fish Market in Old Town and the place had a fire Don't know if it ever reopened, the only reason for me to go there was to get a good grease up at Als before the sauce went down at the bar at Fish Market, the cab ride price was a wallet cleaner but well worth it later

Bob der Baumeister Wrote:
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> Skyline Chili, next to the Book & Card
> smut shop at Gallows and 50.
>
> When you needed to get your Cincinatti chili
> AND Hustler, Oui, and Club.

What year(s) was this? I worked at the People's Drug Store in that strip mall in the late '80s - early '90s.

Same location Mt Vernon Ave Alexandria, no time already ate will have to try a cheesesteak . They are now selling pizza, I don't remember that. Als opened in 1965 as I recall reading some articles in there when Al was still there
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gbw Wrote:
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> Bob der Baumeister Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Skyline Chili, next to the Book & Card
> > smut shop at Gallows and 50.
> >
> > When you needed to get your Cincinatti chili
> > AND Hustler, Oui, and Club.
>
> What year(s) was this? I worked at the People's
> Drug Store in that strip mall in the late '80s -
> early '90s.

That's almost exactly the time that Skyline Chili was there. I was going to say like 1988-1990, but am not entirely sure. Also not sure that it was right next to the Book and Card Shop. I think it was in the section that is perpendicular to Rt. 50.

Great place! One of the few places in this area that had pizza that was at least OK. Nothing like NYC, but at least it wasn't bad. They had large glasses of draft beer, too. I liked the old HW bicycles on display there. I still have my dad's HW bicycle and another HW 3 speed.

Yellow Tweety Bird Wrote:
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> Unit 8 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > generous george
> >
>
>
> Great place! One of the few places in this area
> that had pizza that was at least OK. Nothing like
> NYC, but at least it wasn't bad. They had large
> glasses of draft beer, too. I liked the old HW
> bicycles on display there. I still have my dad's
> HW bicycle and another HW 3 speed.

Best Place In Virginia CLOSED Wrote:
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> CALLED DAJAX'S It was SOUTH OF A RIVER and Now
> Its 1500 feet back into a swamp called Dragon
> Run.
>
> The old mans passing thru and saw some stuff LMAO
> with That Genos Pic Push 1 and 2 !!
>
> Genos and Pats in Philly have the best steak subs
> in the world! And DAJAX agrees that the ladies
> should get a handgun permit if their hiking
> anywhere and the gents too if you a law abiding
> citizen like me
>
> To make the best home made French fries cut them
> into 1/4 inch fries, put them in water in the
> refrigerator and chill 15 minutes at least, then
> remove and dry with towels and put them in a big
> bowl with 2 tablespoons corn starch and fry in
> batch's small enough that the peanut oil stays hot
> till they get slightly browned and they will be
> crisp. I hate to tell you to buy a salt flour
> dredge at a resturauant supply, a good one is off
> General Washington Drive Pinnacle Equipment
> Supplies there Spanish people good folks there.
> Slap some salt on the fries from above after you
> pull them all out to drain on paper towels and
> you've got the best fries there is . A cheap Wal
> Mart Fry Daddy works fine, one temp but it works.
> To go whole hog get the commercial French fry
> cutter at Pinnacle only 250.00 but since ya'all
> have now all got black credit cards you can handle
> that with ease!

What is the consensus? Is DAJAX back? To me, this could be authentic. We do know he had to get rid of the previous table cloth before he left. What do you think?

What the fuck? Wrote:
-. I liked the old HW
> > bicycles on display there. I still have my
> dad's
> > HW bicycle and another HW 3 speed.
>
> What's a HW bicycle?
> Even Google doesn't know.

HW is for "heavyweight". My dad says they used to call beach cruisers "heavyweights when he was a kid. They called the Euro bikes "lightweights"m especially the Brit bikes. At least that's what he said.

I called them bikes and the English ones were 3 speeds, the ones from Italy in the Sears catalog that cost 69.95 were called 10 speed racers . The tall big wheel bikes ones were old fashioned bikes, no one knew what a beach cruiser was but we did know what a Sting Ray and a banana seat was

We would ride our bikes to a new place called McDonalds to get a hamburger a french fry and a orange drink for 45 cents, cheeseburger 48 cents no Big Macs yet

Yellow Tweety Bird Wrote:
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> Unit 8 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > generous george
> >
>
>
> Great place! One of the few places in this area
> that had pizza that was at least OK. Nothing like
> NYC, but at least it wasn't bad. They had large
> glasses of draft beer, too. I liked the old HW
> bicycles on display there. I still have my dad's
> HW bicycle and another HW 3 speed.

Ate at the Orleans House a number of times, but mostly because there was nothing any better available in the neighborhood at the time. You're right that the salad bar was one of the better ones though. Had to fall back on that too often, but at least it was there if you needed it.

Dixie Wrote:
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> I called them bikes and the English ones were 3
> speeds, the ones from Italy in the Sears catalog
> that cost 69.95 were called 10 speed racers . The
> tall big wheel bikes ones were old fashioned
> bikes, no one knew what a beach cruiser was but we
> did know what a Sting Ray and a banana seat was
>
> We would ride our bikes to a new place called
> McDonalds to get a hamburger a french fry and a
> orange drink for 45 cents, cheeseburger 48 cents
> no Big Macs yet

Joes Pizza and Pasta are gone at Bailys Fairfax City and Vienna but there still open on Lee Highway in Arlington , Hang in their Joe you got a great salad bar and home made soup, chicken , pizzas ! Open another in NOVA soon ! Joe's grilled chicken and cheese sub is very good ! Joe and his family are Italian immigrants, hard working people of the type who built America into an great nation ! He learned the pizza making trade in the city that made pizza famous in America New York !